Just moved in?
Been a Wulfrunian since you were a tiny dot?
Whether you’re a Wolvo newbie or you’ve lived in sunny Wolverhampton for ages, this week’s blog is all about the culture surrounding our wonderful city. There’s been an interest submitted to the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport for Wolverhampton to become the new city of culture for 2025. There are many pillars of culture in Wolverhampton’s cultural scene including…
- Grand Theatre
Capacitated at 1200, the Grand Theatre was built by architect Charles J Phipps in 1894. Found on Lichfield Street, the Grand Theatre cost just £10,000 to build back in the day! - Art Gallery
The art gallery witholds approximately 300 years worth of art! - Civic Halls
The Wolverhampton Civic Hall has been a staple music venue for the city for the past few decades.
There are four different themes to Wolverhampton’s application for the bid to be the next City of Culture in 2025. These are…
- Digital City:
Bringing about new digital designs to Wolverhampton - Creative City:
Encouraging local creatives to take part in the new initiative. - Music City:
This programme will bring and showcase music events that are arriving into the city from around the UK and the rest of the world – as well as showcasing new and emerging bands that are from the local area. - Events:
To deliver a partnership to groups to deliver good quality events that bring culture and power to life with events within the city of Wolverhampton.
With all of this in mind, let’s remind ourselves what’s right on our doorstep, and hold a small tribute to our home. Without further ado, here’s a few cultural notables of the city we know and love…
Wool-verhampton
Ironic, but the wool industry isn’t actually how Wolverhampton got it’s name. Our sunny city actually got its name from its founder, Wulfrana Heanton. Our story actually begins way back when in 985 when our ancestral land mother, Lady Wulfrana, founded a church and grew a monastery settlement. Over time, the settlement grew and gradually became established as Wolverhampton, after Wulfrana’s name.
Welsh wool was a big deal back in the 1600s, and wool weavers would migrate to Wolverhampton to execute their practice so that the wool could be spun into a fabric and then sold by local tradesmen. This brought wealth to the city, as well trade, so a lot of Wolverhampton’s booming economy in the early 1600s had the Welsh sheep to thank.
Light House
The city’s media hub, the Light House is a nonprofit organisation funded by local art councils and the UK Film Council. The Light House has two screens showing films both old and new, as well as independent short films and features. They have hosted a handful of different mainstream films, but these are generally left for the chain cinemas to broadcast seeing as the Light House Cinema specialises in independent.
Within the building also exists a ‘Media Hub’ which holds regular video and photography workshops as well as regular theatre and moving image screenings. This diverse site also hosts language cafes, Monday movie meet-ups, and venue hire! A cultural all-rounder for Wolverhampton.
A Musical Claim to Fame
1/5th of the planet’s most well-known boyband comes from Wolverhampton! The twenty-something singer-songwriter Liam Payne was first rejected from the X-Factor auditions, and then later became got called back into the competition to join forces with the four other members of the now hugely known boyband. Liam originally wanted to be a runner and used to run at the Wolverhampton Athletics Club.
However, he went forward with his musical talents and went to study musical production at Wolverhampton College on Paget Road before going to audition at for The X Factor. And the rest is history!
Since then, Payne has been a part of One Direction has sold over 70 million records worldwide – and he is one of the most recognized people on the planet! And to think his success all started from little old Wolverhampton…
Wolverhampton Cultural Trivia
Pub Quiz worthy things to know about Wolverhampton…
- The Molineux Stadium lends its name to a group of French Weavers who were forced out of France and moved into the area in the 18th Century.
- Due to a sudden Influenza outbreak in 1918, Wolverhampton faced a serious shortage of coffins.
- Queen Victoria visited Wolverhampton in November 1866
- Slade’s lead singer Noddy Holder was born just 7 miles away in Walsall!
